Substance P at the nexus of mind and body in chronic inflammation and affective disorders.

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Maurice Preter MD

Reductionistic but still of interest.

Psychol Bull. 2007 Nov;133(6):1007-37.
Substance P at the nexus of mind and body in chronic inflammation and affective disorders.
Rosenkranz MA.
Source

Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53705, USA. marosenk@wisc.edu
Abstract

For decades, research has demonstrated that chronic diseases characterized by dysregulation of inflammation are particularly susceptible to exacerbation by stress and emotion. Likewise, rates of depression and anxiety are overrepresented in individuals suffering from chronic inflammatory disease. In recent years, substance P has been implicated in both the pathophysiology of inflammatory disease and the pathophysiology of depression and anxiety by 2 parallel fields of study. This review integrates the literature from these 2 parallel fields and examines the possibility that substance P dysregulation may be a point of convergence underlying the overlap of chronic inflammatory disease and mood and anxiety disorders. First, the involvement of substance P in peripheral inflammation and in the immune events associated with chronic inflammatory disease is discussed, with a focus on inflammatory bowel disease and asthma. Next, the function of substance P in the communication of peripheral inflammation to the brain is considered. Finally, to complete the bidirectional loop of brain-immune interactions, substance P expression in anxiety and depression as well as its potential role in the neural regulation of peripheral inflammation is reviewed.

PMID:
17967092
[PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged |

Mood-worsening with high-pollen-counts and seasonality: a preliminary report.

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Maurice Preter MD

J Affect Disord. 2007 Aug;101(1-3):269-74. Epub 2007 Jan 12.
Mood-worsening with high-pollen-counts and seasonality: a preliminary report.
Guzman A, Tonelli LH, Roberts D, Stiller JW, Jackson MA, Soriano JJ, Yousufi S, Rohan KJ, Komarow H, Postolache TT.
Source

Mood and Anxiety Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. aguzman@psych.umaryland.edu
Abstract
BACKGROUND:

Because aeroallergens produce inflammation in the respiratory airways, and inflammation triggers depression in vulnerable individuals, we hypothesized that mood sensitivity to pollen, the most seasonal aeroallergen, will be associated with a greater seasonality of mood. Since pollen is absent during winter, we specifically predicted that mood sensitivity to tree pollen will predict non-winter SAD but not winter SAD.
METHODS:

A convenience sample of African and African American college students who lived in the Washington DC metropolitan area for at least the past 3 years completed the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ), from which the Global Seasonality Score (GSS) was calculated, a diagnosis of cumulative SAD (syndromal or subsyndromal SAD) was derived, a seasonal pattern (winter vs non-winter) identified, and self-reported mood changes during high pollen counts obtained. A Mann-Whitney test was used to compare GSS between participants with vs without mood worsening during high pollen counts. The capability of mood worsening with high pollen counts, gender, ethnicity, and age to predict non-winter SAD was analyzed with logistic regressions.
RESULTS:

GSS was greater (z=5.232, p<0.001) in those who reported mood worsening with high pollen counts. Mood sensitivity to pollen predicted non-winter SAD (p=0.017), but not winter SAD.
LIMITATIONS:

The SPAQ is not a definitive tool to assess seasonality, and self-reported mood worsening with high pollen counts relies on recollection. No direct measures of depression scores or pollen counts were collected. The non-winter SAD concept has not been previously established.
CONCLUSIONS:

Our study, which should be considered preliminary in light of its limitations, suggests that self-reported mood-worsening with high pollen count is associated with a greater seasonality of mood, and predicts SAD of non-winter type.

PMID:
17222915
[PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]
PMCID:
PMC1949487

Free PMC Article

Posted in Psychiatry/Neurology |

A study on symptom profiles of late-life depression: the influence of vascular, degenerative and inflammatory risk-indicators. Naarding P, Schoevers RA, Janzing JG, Jonker C, Koudstaal PJ, Beekman AT. Source

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Maurice Preter MD

J Affect Disord. 2005 Oct;88(2):155-62.
A study on symptom profiles of late-life depression: the influence of vascular, degenerative and inflammatory risk-indicators.
Naarding P, Schoevers RA, Janzing JG, Jonker C, Koudstaal PJ, Beekman AT.
Source

Spatie, Center for Mental Health, PO box 926, 7300 BD Apeldoorn and Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center St. Radboud, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. p.naarding@spatie.nl
Abstract
BACKGROUND:

If specific symptom profiles of depressive disorders in the elderly are related to a specific etiology, this could have implications for everyday clinical practice. We hypothesized that a “motivational” profile, with symptoms such as psychomotor change, loss of interest and loss of energy, could clinically separate patients with predominantly vascular or degenerative risk indicators from patients with inflammatory risk indicators.
METHODS:

A total of 4051 subjects participated in a study on mental health problems in community-dwelling elderly. Information on psychiatric symptoms, demographic and medical status, previous history and family history was obtained. We distinguished three subgroups according to predominant somatic risk-indicators; vascular, degenerative and inflammatory groups.
RESULTS:

Motivational symptoms were associated with vascular or degenerative risk-indicators for depression; psychomotor change with both indicators; loss of energy with vascular, though also with the inflammatory indicator, and thinking/concentration disturbance with the degenerative indicator. The so-called mood symptoms of depression, especially thoughts of death, were more strongly related with the inflammatory risk-indicator. Melancholic symptoms like appetite and sleep disturbances were more strongly associated with the inflammatory risk-indicator.
LIMITATIONS:

Etiological classification was not confirmed by additional investigations such as laboratory findings or MRI brain scans.
CONCLUSION:

This study showed that in patients with a late-life depression specific symptoms of the depressive disorder may reflect the predominant underlying pathogenic mechanism.

PMID:
16098601
[PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]

Posted in Aging | Tagged |

Effects of seasonal mood changes on seasonal variations in coronary heart disease: role of immune system, infection, and inflammation.

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Maurice Preter MD

Nice piece by Leo Sher from before the Vitamin D connection was on everyone’s mind.

Med Hypotheses. 2001 Jan;56(1):104-6.
Effects of seasonal mood changes on seasonal variations in coronary heart disease: role of immune system, infection, and inflammation.
Sher L.
Abstract

Coronary heart disease shows a winter peak and summer trough in incidence and mortality. A substantial part of a general population experiences seasonal mood changes including winter depression. Many studies demonstrate that depression is associated with increased incidence, morbidity, and mortality of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the author previously suggested that persons with high levels of seasonality may be at increased risk of developing or worsening of coronary heart disease in the winter. Some psychological factors promote the development of disorders of the cardiovascular system. The same psychological factors decrease immunity and promote infection. There is evidence that the infectious process is involved in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease. Therefore, the author previously proposed that the development of infection and inflammation in the atherosclerotic plaque may be related to the psychological disorders that suppress the immune system. In this paper, the author suggests that winter depression-induced suppression of the immune system may contribute to the winter increase in incidence and mortality of cardiovascular disease.

PMID:
11133264
[PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged |

Quality psychiatric care is needed

Posted on July 5, 2010 by Maurice Preter MD

Quality psychiatric care is needed

China Daily article mirrored on Xinhua

Posted in Psychiatry/Neurology |